Process of making a substitute gas for natural gas in standard carbureted water gas apparatus



w. E. STEINWEDELL. .2,086,340 PROCESS OF MAKING A SUBSTITUTE GAS yFOR NATURAL GAS A -I July e, 1937.

IN STANDARD- CARBURETTED WATER GAS APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27 1933 [Patented July 6, v1 1937.

'PA-TEN'I" OFFICE PROCESS Fv MAKING A SUBSTITUTE GAS FOR NATURAL GAS 1N STANDARD CAR- BURETED WATER GAS APPARATUS William E. Steinwedell, Cleveland Heights, Ohio,

assignor to- The Gas Machinery Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 27,1933, Serial No. 658,775

My invention'fparticularly vrelates to a process of producing a gas which will be satisfactory as a substitute for natural gas by the use of standard apparatus for producing carbureted water gas,

which substitute gas will have burning characteristics quite analogous to those of natural gas, so that the pilot lights, burner equipment, and cooking' utensils will not `become sooted. Gases which produce thesesooty conditions contain ai disadvantages which have been mentioned, as

also lack of economy, have been present in a gas which has heretofore been made in carbureted water gas sets by enriching a small amount of blue gas produced in the generator with a large amount of oil gas made in the carbureter and superheater. In thus heretofore attempting to produce a satisfactory. gas, it was attempted to o produce a thermal value sufciently high, a proper specific gravity, and a suitable chemical analysis,

but the disadvantages mentioned are present inthe product thus produced.

Primarily, my improved process which results .5 in the elimination of the disadvantages mentioned depends upon operating th`e carbureted water gas set upon a temperature cycle instead of a time cycle Speccally, the cycle is controlled by the temperature of the checkerbrick in the carbureter o and superheater. As hereinafter described in detail, the checkerbrick in the carbureterand superheater are raised during the air-blasting period. to a higher point than that to which they are usually raised in standard carbureted water gas making practice, and the oil gas made 'is subjectedto this higher temperature, preferably in a steam atmosphere, which effects a. reforming of the oil gas with consequent advantages here'- inafter fully described. o The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain steps illustrating my improved process, these steps constituting but a few of the various series of stepsby which' the improved process may be carried out. 55 The annexed drawing consists of a. single fig- `Carrying Out my impI'OVed PIOCQSS.

ure illustrating one standard form ofL apparatus for the production of carbureted water gas.

In said annexed drawing:

A generator I is provided with a grate 2 upon which is built the fuel bed 3, the set also compris- 5 ing a carbureter 4 with its checkerbrick 5, a superheater 6 with its checkerbrick 1, and a stack T 6 upon the superheater 6 which is controlled by the stack valve 9. 'Ihe gas products for storage and use are conducted from the vsuperheater 6 '10 through a pipe 26 to a seal I0 and thence to a holder II through the pipe 29. A connection I2 having a lining I3 and controlled by valve 25 communicates withthe generator I and carbureter 4. 'I'here is also a connection I4 between 15 j the carbureter 4 and the superheater 6. The connection 29 between the seal III and the holder II is controlled by a valve 30. For the purposes of the usual air-blasting, a main air line I5 is formed with branches I6 and Il which communicate re- 20 spectively with the bottom of the generator I and the top of the carbureter 4, these branch blast lines I6 and I1 being provided with valves I8 and I9, respectively. An auxiliary air line 35 connects the branch line I1 with the top of the gen- 25 erator I and is controlled by valve 36. Standard water gas sets are designed for both steam upruns and steam down-runs through the generator I, and to that end a main steam line is formed with branches 2I and 23 which communi- 30 cate respectively with the bottom and top of the generator I and are provided with valves 22 and 24, respectively. When, in carbureted water gas manufacture, the make of blue gas is upwardly through the generator I, the hot gas valve 25 controlling the connection I2 is open, and when the make of blue gas is downwardly through the generator I, a hot gas valve 21 controlling a. conduit 26 extending from the bottom of the generator I tothe connection I2 is open. De--40 pending upon the direction of the make, one of these valves 25 and 21 is closed and the other is open, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. There are various designs of carbureted water gas apparatus for taking the blue gas oif from the bottom of the generator I, upon the down-runs, and one of the standard designs provides for conducting this down-run gas to the connection I2 and thence to the' carbureter 4. I have shown this design in the accompanying drawing, for purposes of illustration. Any other standard design of carbureted water gas apparatus would be equally suitable for the purpose of The valve 25 controlling the connection I2 be- 55 tween the generator I and the carbureter 4 remains open during the entire cycle of my improved operation and the' valve 21 `controlling the connection 26 remains closed, except as hereinafter mentioned relative to conditioning of the fuel bed. These valves 25 and 21 are the hot gas valves controlling the respective up and down make-gas runs of a standard carbureted water gas set of the design shown, and are alternately or periodically opened and closed, respectively, for these respective runs when using the set for normal operation. However, the bottom oftake 26 from the generator I is not utilized in the working of my improved process, the blasting and gas-making of this process Abeing always upwardly through the generator I so that no use is made of the standard connection 26 between the generator I and the carbureter 4, and hence the valve 21 always remains closed, except for certain fuel bed conditioning hereinafter described.

In practicing my improved process, and assuming the fuel bed 3 has been conditioned oris conditioned by `reason of previous cycles of operation, the stack valve 9 is first opened, then the steam line valve 22 is opened, the steam-valve 24 being closed. Immediately upon opening the steam line valve 22, the generator air blast valve I8 and thel carbureter air blast valve I9 are opened, the air blast line valve 36 being closed. In addition to the producer gas made in the generator by the blow, a small amount of blue gas is generated in the generator 3, which gases pass through the connection I2 where they are burned and thence pass downwardly through the checkerbrick 5 in the carbureter 4, through the connection I4 and upwardly through the checkerbrick 1 in the superheater 6 and thence out the stack 8. The small amount of blue gas is generated concurrently with` the air-blasting -for the purpose of shortening the blow period although such generation of blue gas is not absolutely necessary to eieot the improved process.

The air-blasting of the fuel bed 3'in the generator I, and the simultaneous production of a small amount of blue gas by reason of the reaction of the steam in the fuel bed 3, is continued for such a period as will raise the temperature of `the checkerbrick 5 and 1 to a point exceeding that to which they are brought during the airblasting period in normal carbureted water gas manufacture. For instance, the temperature of the checkerbrick may ber raised from about 1450 F. to1650 F.; whereas, in normal carbureted water gas manufacture this temperature would be raised'from about 13504 F. to 1450" F., the temperature during carbureted watergas manufacture and the temperature during the manufacture of my substitute gas both depending on the characteristics of the oil used. But for the same oil characteristics the temperature of the checkerbrick during the manufacture of my substitute gas will be raisedhigher than for manu-A facture of carbureted waterE gas. During the run" period of my improved process, hereinafter described, the temperature of the checkerbrick will drop to a point approximatingthat to which and the steam line valve 22 are closed.A 'I he ap-' paratus is then ready for a run", which is effected by opening the steam line'valve` 24 permitting steam to pass via the line 23 into the top of the generator I where it is heated and whence to the states. 25 will be closed and the reversal valve 21 will it passes outwardly into theiconnection I2 where its temperature is further raised by the heat of the lining I3, after which it passes into the top of the carbureter, and thence downwardly through the checkerbrick 5 therein, together with oil which is sprayed into the top of the carbureter 4 from a pipe 33 controlled by a valve 34, this oil-line valve 34 having been opened immediately on opening the steam line valve 24. 'Ihe oil and steam pass through the checkerbrick 5 and into wardly through the checkerbrick-1 in the superheater 6 and through the stack 8 and outwardly toatmosphere, the stack valve 9 having been left open. As soon as the reformed oil gas made inthe carbureter and superheater -inthe steam atmosphere mentioned commences to issue from the stack 8, the set is making the desired gas suitable for storage and use, so that the stack valve 9 is closed, and the valve 30 opened, and the reformed gas passes through the connection '28 'and issues from the dip end thereof into the vseal I whence it passes through the connection 29 to the holder II. 1

The gas-making period is continued until the temperature of the checkerbrick and 1 has fallen to a point below which gas of the desired characteristics, which will be hereinafter explained, is no longer made. 'I'he temperature is gauged by pyrometers 3l and 32 whichl serve,

respectively, to measure thevtemperature of the checkerbrick 1 in the superheater 6, and the temand through the connection I4 and thence upperature of the Ygas passing through the connection 28 from the superheater 8 to the seal I0. :As is well-known to those skilled in the art, the temperature of the checkerbrick 5 in the carburetor a tends to lose its heatV during the 011- gas-making period faster lthan d oes the checkerbrick 1 in the superheater 6, but it is necessary only to watch the temperature-fall 1in the checkerbrick 1 as -this is indicativeof ,the heat to which the oil gas is subjected.y When the oil-Q gas-making period has ended, as determined by the temperature of the checkerbrick 1, or the temperature of the gas produced, the oil-control may dictate some variations in the cycle of operations i above-described. In cases where this substitute gas is made for relatively long 'periods of time, it is advisable occasionally to4 air blast from the top of the generator I by means of an a'ir blast line 35 controlled by the blast valve 38 so that a down air blast may be made through the ilre 3 -in the generator I. This operation is for the purpose of maintaining a better condition of the fuel bed and to keep the nre closer In this event the reversal valve be opened. The steam valve 24 can also be opened, if desired, during this down-blast.

In those situations wherea change has been made from manufactured gas of aboutv 550 B. t. u. to natural. gas of about 1000 B. t. u., in order to capacity oil sprays, so that gas can be manufac-` tured by 'this loads.v

The subjecting of the oil gas in a steam atmos` phere to the higher temperatures in the carbureter, and superheater reforms the high therprocess to take care ofthe peak mal value oil gas with its undesirably high per-v centage of illuminants down to, the desired thermal value and chemical composition, part of the illuminants in the gas being transformed into marsh gas and hydrogen and producing a product which is well xed and stable. The quality .of this resultant product depends -upon the temperature to which it is subjected and its time contact with the hot checkerbrick, a higher temperature and longer time of contact producing a gas of lower heating value containing less illuminants, and vice versa. Under the conditions stated, sets which are suitable`for4 making carbureted water gas of about 550 B'. t. u; value can be utilized to make a reformed oil gas which will serve as a satisfactory substitute for natural'gas of about 1000 B. t. u. value. The

reformed gas is burned in the various appliances l An analysis of a typical product produced by my improve'd process is as follows;

Methane, marsh gas, CH4, approximately 40 Hydrogen, H,`approximately 28 Carbon monoxide, CO, approximately 3 o Carbon'dioxide, CO2,approximately a 5 Nitrogen, N, approximately-; 4

Illuminants, approximately 20 The product above analyzed has a B. t. u..value of approximately 1000, and a specific gravity of about .65. y

What I claim is:

1. A process of making a substitute gas for natural gas having substantially the same characteristics as natural gas with respect to B. t. Iu. heating value and burningcharacteristics, said process being worked in standard .carbureted Water gas apparatus having a generator, a carburetera superheater, a lined connection between the top of the generator and the top of the carbureter, a connection betweenthe carbureter and the superheater, and an outlet from the superheater, which process comprises upwardlyv air-blasting the fuel bed in thegenerato'r and at the same time air-blasting the carbureter above the checkerbrick therein, to heat the top of the generator and the lining of the connection between the generator and carbureter and to heat the checkerbrickvinthe carbureter and superheater, said blasting being suicient thereby -to heat said checkerbrick materiallyabove the temperature to which the same is'heated in carbureted water gas manufacture utilizing `oil hav-- ing substantially the same characteristics as the Percent' oil hereinafter mentioned as being admitted to the top of the carbureter; then admitting steam to the .t'op of the generator and passing the same through said connection to the carbureter and at the same timeadmitting oil to the top of the carbureter, thus producing reformed oil gas lin a steam atmosphere in the carbureter and super heater; and then withdrawing the resultant prod-'- o ucts from the superheater for storage and use when reformed oil gas commences to issue from4 temperature to which the same would be heated in carbureted water gas manufacture utilizing oil having substantially the same characteristics and admitted to the Atop of the carbureter. o

2-..A process of making av substitute gas for natural gas having substantially the same characteristics as natural gas with respect to B. t. u. heating value and burning characteristics. said process being worked in standard carbureted water gas apparatus having. a generator, a carbureter, a superheater, a lined connection between the top of the generator and the top of the carbureter, a connection between the bottom 'of the generator and the top of the carbureter, re-

'versal valves controlling said connections, a connection between the carbureter and the superheater, and an outlet from the superheater, which process comprises upwardly steam-blasting and air-blasting the fuel bed in the generator and at the same time air-blasting the carbureter above the checkerbrick therein, to generate blue gas and producer gas and to heat the top of the generator and the lining of the first-,mentioned connection between the generator and carbureter and to heat the checkerbrick in the carbureter and superheater, said blasting being sum cient thereby to heatsaid checkerbrick materially above the temperature to which the same is heated in carburetedv water gas manufacture utilizing oil having substantially the same charthus producing reformed oil gas in a steam atmosphere. in the carbureter and superheater;

then withdrawing the resultant products from the,-

superheater for storage and use when reformed oil gas commences to issue from the superheater,

the oil gas production being stopped when the temperature of the checkerbrick has dropped to a point approximating theV temperature to which the same would. be heated in carbureted water gas manufacture` utilizing oil having substanv tially the same characteristics and admitted to the top of the carbureter; and then repeating the cycle, the fuel bed being occasionally downwardly steam-blasted and air-blasted in lieu of upward steam-blasting and air-blasting.

WILLIAM E. S'I'EINWEDELL. 

